NC outdoor hiking adventures wildlife

Tag Archives: Outdoors

I did some hiking the other day on the Haw River on Hwy 64 and on Hwy 15 501. First I hike on Hwy 64 head trail (south). It was a beautiful Autumn day. I got there right when the sun was coming up. The weather that day was overcast. Than I hiked on the Haw River off of Hwy 15 501 head trail (north).

Sometime I forget how beautiful fall is because I am used to seeing it every year. One of my friend have only been in the state for about four months and this is the first time he have seen the trees change colors. He has been very excited about the leaves changing colors, that is all he talk about. When I was editing the pictures I took, I thought wow, he is right they are very pretty (just not so much in parking lots). There below is all the photos I took of my hiking trip. I had a hard time picked the best one, so I posted all of them. Words do no justice to describe the beauty of the Autumn day.

It have been raining a lot in the past week. The trails are muddle and some areas on the trails are flooding. However, I can’t wait for them to dry out because being stuck inside sucks. So last week I went hiking on Laurel Bluffs trail at Eno River State Park. Laurel Bluffs trail is very large , so I went on the part between the pump station and Guest Road. That part of the trail is 2.5 mile. The river was to it maximum capability. Many of the wildlife was not around the area. However, I did see a hummingbird. It was so fast, I only saw it once. It was fun hiking on trails that are muddling and flooding because it was a challenge to keep my shoes from getting wet and full of mud. Just another thing that keep me on my toes.

Like I say on my last post, I am learning more about mushroom. I saw more cool looking mushroom on this hike as well as my last one.

Look like a yellow broken umbrella

I think the red one maybe Hygrocybe miniata. I am not sure. Well, it is hard to identify them. I am starting to thing it maybe more fun to take pictures of them and enjoy the different colors of them. Plus they look better when there is a collection of them together. On my next post, I will have some better pictures of them. A friend of mine told me of the macro setting on my camera that I did not know about. Yeah, so I am still learning how to use my camera. Well, not everyone can be good at everything at first. Hey, it is fun learning these things and it is a good laugh at the same time.

Another thing I have learned in the past week is that I can drive up to deer and take their picture without any problem because my car does not make a sound. I have a Prius with is kind of nice in the fact it take less gas than most other cars. It is nice that the deer does not run off as soon as they see me because I am so quiet. What a day, that just made my day to see deer. Deer are so cute.

Wow, what a fun weekend full of hiking and camping with friends I had. This weekend I went to Falls Lake State Recreation Area. First thing first, we set up our tents at the campground. It was interest because some of the guys this was their first camping trip. It made the camping trip excellent to show wondrous of camping to new campers. For example, one guy did not know what a s’mores was.

Next we went hiking on part of the Mountain to Sea Trail (round trip 6 miles total). There was lots of colorful mushroom all through out the trail. Some was asking if I know what kind of mushroom was them. I had no idea, so it made me want to get a field guide-book on mushroom and learn more. The trail was a little muddling because it had been raining before we went on the hike. Afterward, it was nice having showers at the camp area and the water was warm.

Later we started a fire and prepared out dinner. Dinner was a family style where everyone brought something to share with everyone. It was relaxing and a time for us to talk around the camp fire. Some people was louder than others while we joke and laugh sharing each other stories. It was full of stories of possum beating with crowbar, horses fighting over man in a tent, and adventures of climbing and kayaking in the dark of night.

We turn in for the night and slept in our tents. It rain all night and thunder and light throughout the night. I still dry in my tent while I forgot to put my shoes in the tent with me. Everyone was pretty dry through out the night; however, one person forgot to shut their window to their tent so everything in their tent was wet.

In the morning, we clean up and took down our tents. I was not feeling to well, I did not go with them on the hiking that day but say my good-bye to everyone. It was a fun adventures that I would like to do with them again.

Few weeks ago, I spend the whole day at Jordan Lake State Park. I planned to be at the park all day so I packed a lunch, snacks, and water. I put everything in my rucksack. My rucksack is very important to me because it was given to me when I was in the army. I am used to be carried heavy rucksack due to my army experience. Hiking with a rucksack is more of a challenge and it is great at increasing your endurance. I enjoy the workout that I get from it. Plus because I am prepared for all day it make it is easier for me to commit to 5 plus miles trail.

I started the day by hiking on New Hope Overlook Trail Red. The red trail is 5.4 miles and it is a moderate level. The trail is mark with Red and Blue hiker on the trees so you know which trail you are on. The New Hope Overlook trail is a new trail put on my the state park. When I first starting this hike, I meant to hike around the whole loop including red and blue trail. However, the trail was confused so I end up hiked only the red trail. I will have to hike this trail more often to get used to it.

There are some places on the trail that look like beaver or otter homes. I went on a Saturday so any water life was hard to spot because of all of the speed boats. However, beavers are normally active during the night-time. Some of my researcher friends told me about how they stood on a beaver nest in the middle of a pond at night because they were survival frogs by their sounds. The beavers were not too happy that they were standing on their house so they splash them and my friends left all wet.

Since I started hiking in NC, I came across these beautiful flower that are mostly green with little white and orange on the tip of the flower. I am having a hard time figure out what tree the flower come from. If anyone know, please tell me because I am curious to found out.

One thing that is great about hiking on Jordan Lake is that you can pay for car entrance day pass at one recreation area and show that receipt to other recreation area in the park to enter. It was great for me because I was able to checkout many different trails in many different recreation area.

I will say this, I have more to write about this day. I will write it in parts so this part 1.

Today, I enjoy a wonderful hike on Pea Creek and Dunnagan Trail at Eno River State Park.The photo on the left is Pea Creek Trail during the later morning. As a kid, I would play in the woods behind my relation house and make a club house made of vines and other material. The trail remember me of that like I was on an adventure living off of the land.

I love the sound of water flowing. It is peaceful and comfortable. The water flow around the rocks and logs, there is no going through. The noise of everyday life can sometime feel overbearing that is why I like to hike. I looked for a place on the trail where I don’t hear cars or people. I walked until I hear nothing but birds and water flowing. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against people. There are some morning where I want to clear my mind.

This morning I saw several six-lined racerunner (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus) and American Toad. The racerunner had a spider in it mouth. When I first starting walking on these trails, I would jump every now or than because it sound like someone would run up from behind me. However, it was the racerunner dashed from their sun spot. A couple of time, they ran in between my feet. They are very fast (18 mph). The toads are not as fast as the racerunner but as soon as I figure that was the racerunner, then I was able to spot the toad.

American Toad

Six-liner racerunner

Sometime, when I am hiking I stop to read a book or write in my journal A friend of mine give me a book to read so I stopped half way through my hike to read of the book. So far it is a good book that talks about how we ignore our heart’s wants. It was a hard topic for me because I am having a hard time understand what I want. I know that I enjoy hiking and I love science. I know right now my job does not match up with what I want to do. All I can do is applied for jobs that does match up with what I want.

Hopefully, one day I will be able to enjoy a career in natural resource or similarly field. Until than I will keep hiking and work my day job.